Sunday, 4 March 2012

Catching up - last post of only being 40!

So it's downhill even more for me now! 41 tomorrow! So here's what's been going on in the life of a textiles teacher!

So, firstly Ivan (Mr Bicknell) and I have been learning how to be super parents! Yeah, really - now, if our now at home and happy, happy, little person is reading this, we want you to know that we have been thinking about you on a daily basis for a very long time already!﻿ In fact we have had to read this enormous file on how to look after you really, really, well! 3 days in the last two weeks have been dedicated to preparing ourselves properly to be brilliant adoptive parents. It was emotional to say the least and makes you really think about all that being a parent encompasses, not to mention an adoptive parent. The other couples on the course were amazing - so nice and giving and it is heartening to know that you are not alone, especially as just about all our friends have managed to get pregnant and do the natural route. Funnily enough, and despite the fact that it is such a n emotionally charged process, with weekly social worker visits and the prospect of having to justify ourselves in front of a panel of maybe 12 people, we are ridiculously excited! Dis you hear that little person? RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED TO MEET YOU! X

HUGE file - the first page of which say DO NOT GIVE UP!

Always a bit of an opportunist, I took the naughty step (no pun intended) of booking a nice little hotel for the initial two days we were ﻿in Oxford, and engineered some nice eating places too - blimey, little did we know that we would be so mentally exhausted each day that this was almost a necessity! We really enjoyed being able to discuss each days proceedings without any distractions though and it didn't hurt to enjoy a bit of Oxford either - all our friends with children assure us that these little luxuries are few and far between when you are a parent, so making the most of them makes sense to me!

Lovely Chinese restaurant in Summertown near our hotel - especially appealing to me with all the birdcages hanging from the ceiling!

A bit posh though with more Veuve Clicquot than you can shake a chopstick at!

Lovely sparkly lights

Good grief! 76% proof - errr, no ta!

A nice blush was better!

The Remont - recommended!

Nice trees at Zizi Oxford

Introducing our new mascot! As you can see he was a princely sum! I have an unfortunate nickname thanks to Ivan (Mr Bicknell) and this fella fits the bill - he was on sale at a WI stall in the building where our course was being held and he seemed to be a sign - so from here on in he holds the position of lucky mascot!

Last weekend was quite sociable family wise, as was this weekend, but last weekend we cooked supper for Ivan's Dad Renchi and step Mum Ness (above) and my lovely folks spoiled us with homemade tempura and incredible fish stew - so much so that the boys had to sleep it off! We on the other hand made lots of plans for future spa days!

Sleeping beauties!

AT LAST! A new grating display - Merlin and a dragon!

My fabby second years continue to make great stuff - here area couple of cool skirts - Josie had black and used miles of video tape and Jazzy had green and went to town with plastic and the blow torch with green beetles in mind!

And now it is all going to rock in Brighton - this year we get to go on my birthday too! In prep for this the group have been collecting imagery and playing with repeat pattern so that they can get all interior minded! As you can see they all took it very seriously - serves me right for getting them to do it on a Friday afternoon!

Rachel and Evie - this is a rarity because Evie hardly ever smiles!!!

Pip

Another rarity - Rachel doing some work! Oh only kidding Rach!

A joint effort form Josie, Lizzy and Rachel

Lauren fab imagery and nearly getting it.....

Faith

Viki

Viki - attention seeking like usual!

The first years are getting on too and Paul's energy is rubbing off brilliantly - although we share the load he is definitely the force behind the cool work!

Alphasemble wall

Nicole's BRILLIANT print for architecture

And the new project, all about Roald Dahl - how amazing are these photos?

They have organised all their photoshoots themselves using text from Dahl as their inspiration - can you recognise the books? As I was leaving on Friday evening, I happened across this too - see, homemade props and everything!

This weekend we headed up to the big smoke to spend some time with Judith, Annie, Rainer, Ned, Michelle and Merryn - I love having friends and family in London! Judith is house sitting in Muswell Hill at the moment so we camped out there - makes we realise how "bijoux" our house is when you stay in a 5 storey in London! The house is owned by a pair of Doctors currently doing something worthy in Namibia - by the sounds of things they are a pretty cool couple! The house was bonkers mad and packed to the gills with amazing things like the bike hanging below - as our social worker said to Ivan when I was describing my excitement at creating "Ethiopia" day and decorating a new bedroom - you will have to watch her - things might get out of control! Lucky we don't have five floors to fill then!

Covent Garden cakes

A visit to the Freud at the National Portrait Gallery - definitely worth it - incredible to consider what he did in a lifetime.

Man with a blue scarf - my favourite

By Royal Appointment!

Dinner at Patara on Greek street

and then on to the cinema...

These wonderful sculptures by Michael Chaikin were in a window opposite the cinema - my crap photography doesn't do them justice.